The Most Impressive, Underrated Tree You Should Be Planting In Your Yard

Having trees in your yard not only adds to a beautiful landscape, but also provides shade and privacy for your home and garden. Certain tree species, however, can quickly grow far too large or need a lot of care. If this is your worry, fear not, as House Digest spoke exclusively with Tiffany Selvey, House Digest's Master Gardener, about which tree more people should be planting in their yards. 

While there are plenty of good options, Selvey suggests the 'Royal White' redbud, also known as a variety of Cercis canadensis: "As a cultivar of the eastern redbud, 'Royal White' grows in a wide range of climates and soil conditions." The tree is hardy in zones 4 through 9, making it a great option for most of the contiguous United States. The only exceptions to this are perhaps Florida, Texas, and California, as well as the areas of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Montana.

The 'Royal White' variety is also a great plant to have if you're hoping to support your local ecosystem. As Selvey explained in her exclusive chat with House Digest, it's "a unique cultivar of the eastern redbud, a tree that has tremendous value to the environment and wildlife." In fact, according to our expert, by planting a beautiful redbud tree, you can attract all types of birds: "This tree has something to offer nearly year-round, attracting hummingbirds and pollinators in the spring. Songbirds come along later for the seeds, which provide a vital food source through winter." Despite this, it also stands tough against animals that could kill your tree while it is growing, such as deer. 

'Royal White' is certainly a gorgeous tree that adds the perfect pop of color for small spaces in your backyard. Normally, the eastern redbud has a brilliant red shade, but this variety offers white blooms, which Selvey told us, "put on a show early in the season, followed by sweet, heart-shaped leaves that fade to a delicate yellow for fall color." The flowers usually bloom in the early spring before the leaves even fully appear, giving you a larger window where this plant catches the eye and brings beauty into your yard. 

Even if you don't have enough space for a traditionally large tree, Tiffany Selvey told House Digest in our exclusive chat that 'Royal White' may still be an option for you: "The beauty of this white-blooming species is perfect for compact yards by combining the benefits of the common eastern redbud with the bright white hue of a dogwood." Compact is a perfect way to describe this tree, as it only grows up to 25 feet high, and the canopy doesn't extend beyond 25 feet either.

It also works if you already have other trees, Selvey explained: "As an understory tree, 'Royal White' can tolerate some shade, making it perfect for areas near mature shade trees (even black walnut!) or tall homes." Not only is it compact, it's durable too. Our expert said the tree can handle pretty much anything you throw at it and that, "it tolerates almost everything but soggy soil." It also grows rather quickly for a tree, so you don't have to wait years and years for it to look beautiful and fully grown.

However, there is one major downside to having an eastern redbud, including the 'Royal White' variety. This fast-growing tree may not be one you want in your yard if you hope to keep stink bugs away, as it's one of the plants they love. However, they do like a variety of flora, so it may not be worth completely avoiding this one if it works for your space.